Folding seat



Dec. 17, 1957 U, MSH 2,816,871

FOLDING SEAT Firled nay 2o. 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l l INVENTOR ULYsE'ss A. Hsu

' BY 1 77z'wzmakewrza/nv ma A'ITORNEY Dec. 17, 1957 u. A. FlsH 2,816,871

FOLDING SEAT Filed May 20, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Uxxsess A. F|s\\ 775192Z@ um #10m/Mun ATTORNEYS United States Patent C 2,816,871 FOLDING SEAT Ulysess A. Fish, Bartlett, Tenn. Application May 20, 1955, Serial No. 509,830 3 Claims. (Cl. 155.-133) This invention relates Vto folding seats and more `particularly to coin operated folding seats for grandstands and the like. l

It is an object of this invention to provide a coin operated folding seat which may .be 4readily secured `to the .bleacher-type seats in a .stadium and which will ybe in an inactive and .unusable .position until a proper coin is deposited so as to permit the seat to be placed in Vits active position whereby the patron will then be provided with a cushioned seat and back rest.

It is a further object of this invention .to .provide a coin operated folding seat which will .eliminate the `use of unattached cushions which may -be sold by attendants in the stadium, and which may become lost or misplaced by the user, also will eliminate .the need for vattendants or sales people going about in the stands or .stadium selling the loose cushions.

,It .1.5 2l .Still further ObeC ,0f this .nyention to provide a coin operated folding seat which may be readily stored or placed in an out Aof `the Way POStOJl .on .the .bleachertype seat `so as to avoid interference the norma-l use of the seat if the patron is not kdesirous of avaijlng himself of the Acoin operated cushioned seat and back rest, and which .whep in .the stored position .will protect the seat from nnflue .damage due te weather- .Ah .and fll further biee of this invention is 10 provide e wie .ererefed folding seat .for .a srandstand having bleacherflike seats which is of simple construction Yet @leslie and .rugged .ei/.er .ernennen periods f time.

Other Q bieets and advantages will become apparent frere e esgsiderefien .0f the .fellewing detailed deseription, flllg .SPQCCMOJL .and taken .in .conjunction with the .aCFniBenYise .drawings in which:

.Fglsgre l kis a perspeetire View .Off a pair .ot folding seats, embodying this invention, as applied to a bleaeher-like seat and showing one of the seats in the active position @ad the ether .in .the inaefive position;

Figure 2 is .e Side elevational view of a seat in its ingerir/.e nennen .and .es teken substantially along une 2.-.-2 O f FSlEf-e .and .simu/ ing in broken lines the Stored Pennen. 'ef the reefs Figure 3 is a side elevational yiew of Lthe seat of Figure 1 shown in active position, and as taken ,SubStantially along line -3 of Figure l;

Figure 4 is a rear elevational View, partially broken away, i the .Seat as she-wn .in .Figure Y3;

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view, on a somewhat enlarged scale, taken along the line 5-#5of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a cross sectional view taken on line 6r-6 of Figure 5; and

Figure 7 is a cross sectional View taken along line 'p7-7 of Figure 6. n g

With continued reference to the drawings, there is shown a coin-operated folding seat, generally (indicated at lll, and as shown in Figure l there "are two-seatslo one of which is in the active position and the other is in the inactive position. The seats 10 are 'adapted `to be carried upon the board-like bleacherftype seat `12, commonly found in grandstands and stadiums.

The seat 10 is of the type having a cushioned seat por tion 14 and a cushioned back rest 16 carried by the seat portion for pivotal movement from an inactive position, shown in Figure 2, in which it lies in overlying covering relation to the seat portion to an active lposi-tion, as shown in Figure 3, in which it extends upwardly from the seat portion adjacent one end thereof.

The back rest V16 comprises a generally U-shaped frame member 18 having the free ends thereof pivotally connected to upstanding arms 2t) and l22 iixedly Ysecured `at their ends remote from theend -pivotally connected to the frame 418 yto horizontally extending vbracketplates 24 and 26 which are horizontally disposed and carried by the seat portion V1d at opposite sides thereof and extending rearwardly therefrom. Between each ofthe legs of the U-shaped back rest bracket vframe 4ll8 at the ends of wthe respective bracket plates 24 and 26 remote from `the lends to which the arms 20 and 22 are secured, extends a pair of pivoted links 23 and Sil which are adapted to maintain the back rest in its active position and serve as a .bracing means, as clearly shown in Figure 3.

A pair of .1 -.shaped mounting brackets 32 and 34 are secured at opposite longitudinalr sides of the seat portion 1,4 with the longer leg thereof extending along the longitudinal sides and is secured thereto and extending for.- wardly `therefrom with the shorter leg thereof extending downwardly and .across .the front .edge of the bleachertype seat t2. yEach of the short legs ,of the respective mounting brackets 32 and 34 have integrally formed, inwardly turned feet 36 and 38 respectively which is in spaced, substantially parallel relation .to .the longer leg of the respective mounting bracket.

Adjacent the free 4end ,of the feet 36 and 38 .there is provided a transversely extending pin 4 0 which is adapted to be received and ride in an elongated slot 42 formed in depending les 44 .0f angle members .4.6 and 4S. .Each .of the angle members extend transversely, in spaced parallel relation, across the undersurface of the seat 1.2 with the other leg 45 oneach of these angle members being secured to the undersurface of the seat l12 as by screws or rivets.

Thus, vit will be seen .that the seat 1i) may be moved -to a position underneath the bleacher-,type sea-t 12 by vlirst lifting the rear of the seat so that it will pivot and move in avertical arcuate path about the pins 4.0, and assume a position at a level below the seat l2. The kseat may then be moved in a rectilinear path toward the rear of the seat by having the pins 40 ride in lthe slots 42 and the respective angle members 46 and 48 so that the seat will assume a stored and out of the way position as shown in broken lines in Figure 2. With the seat in the stored position, will be apparent that the bleacher-type seat 12 may be used by `the patron without interference of the coinloperated seat Ill.

`If the patron desires the use of the cushioned folding seat 10, he need merely-to move it forwardly vfrom its stored position and then have it rest on the top surface of the bleacherltype seat 12 by rotating it about the pins v4() at the forward end of the slots 42. vThe patron then inserts a coin of proper denomination into the coin-operated means, generally indicated at 50 which will release the'back rest 16 from its inactive position shown in Fgure 2 and permit the ,backv rest to be moved to its active position shown in Figure at which time the seat y10 may be'used by the patron for ,the remainder of the eyent to be witnessed.

The Vcoin operated means 50 is carried by the back rest.

rectangularbak plate 52 which is adapted to be rece y.ed

in a complementary rectangular opening 54 in the Vsolid back piece 56 of the back rest 16. The back plate 52 carries adjacent its upper end a pair of spaced ears 58 which extend outwardly and upwardly therefrom in spaced parallel relation thereto so as to engage the rear surface of the back piece 56 adjacent the upper transverse edge of the opening 54, while the generally circular housing 60 carried by the plate 52 is provided with a lock 62, which is key operated, adjacent the lower central portion thereof and including a locking lug 64 which is adapted to move in an arcuate path so as to engage behind the backpiece 56 adjacent the central portion of the lower transverse edge of the opening 54 upon insertion of the key whereby the coin-operated means l) will be securely locked to the back rest 16 to prevent unwarranted removaltherefrom.

The housing 60 includes a generally circular outer plate 66 maintained in spaced parallel relation to the back plate 52 by an integrally formed dependent peripheral flange 68 which is secured to the back plate 52 in any suitable manner, such as by welding.

Thus, the space between the front or outer plate 66 and the back plate 52 defines a chamber 70 in which is disposed a winding drum 72 provided with an outwardly extending annular flange 74 at one side thereof and a hub 76 about which a flexible line or cable 7S is wound. The drum 72 is rotatably mounted on a drum shaft 30 so as to be rotatable therewith and may be secured thereon as by being keyed thereto. The shaft 80 extends transversely through .the coin-operated means 5t) and is journaled adjacent its outer end in a bearing boss S2 integrally formed and extending outwardly from the front or outer plate 66. That portion of the shaftV 80 which extends outwardly of the boss 82 has secured thereon a winged cap 34 to define means whereby the shaft 80- may be manually rotated.

An inner plate 86 of substantially circular form and of a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the flange 74, is disposed at the side of the hub 76 of the drum 72 remote from the side at which the flange 74 extends so as to define, amongst other things, an area between which the cable 78 may be maintained on the drum 72 when wound thereon.

It will be noted that the 'housing 60 is provided with a coin receiving opening 88 at its upper central portion and the inner plate 76 is provided with a coin receiving pocket 90 which may be in register with the opening 88 so as to receive the coin placed in the opening 88. The outer end of the pocket 90 has a cut-out or detent 92 formed in the inner plate 86 and defines a stop shoulder 94 which is adapted to engage against the terminal end of a dog 96 pivotally carried by the front or outer plate 66 and spring urged, as by the spring 98, into engagement with the periphery of the inner plate 86 so that upon rotation of the shaft 80 by the winged cap 84, further rotation of the drum 72 will be prevented since the inner plate 86 is rotatable with the drum 72 as the shaft 80 is rotated.

The flexible line or cable 78 merges through a suitable opening in the housing 60 and enters an opening in the tubular frame 18 in one leg thereof and is trained about a guide roller 100 rotatably mounted within the leg of the frame 18. The exible line is then directed downwardly and about a similar guide roller 102 and emerges from the leg of the frame 18 through a suitable opening 104 so that its end remote from the end secured to the drum 72 is securely attached to one side of the seat portion 14 adjacent the lower longitudinal edge thereof.

Hence, it will be apparent that in the inactive position shown in Figure 2, the seat is maintained in this position by the flexible line or cable being wound about the drum.

72 and prevented for unlocking by the spring urged dog 96 engaging the cut-out or detent 92 so that the back rest 16 cannot be moved in its arcuate path to an active position in which itv extends upwardly from the seat portion '14.

i embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that 175 the structure is susceptible to change and modificationln order to enable the back rest to be moved from the inactive position in which it lies in overlying covering relation to the seat portion to' its active position wherein it extends upwardly from the seat portion adjacent one end thereof, a coin of suitable predetermined denomination is placed in the coin receiving opening 88 and drops into the coin receiving pocket 9G. Thus, the outer periphery of the coin will permit the free end of the dog 96, that is the end remote from the end pivotally mounted on the outer plate 66, to ride over the stop shoulder 94 of the cut-out or detent 92 to permit further rotation of the yshaft and unwinding of the exible line or cable 76 to thereby permit movement of the back rest 16 from its linactive to'its active position since the single rotation of the drum 72 will pay out suicient length of the flexible line or cable to accomplish this.

As the shaft 80 is rotated in a clockwise direction, after the insertion of the proper coin, the coin will be deposited in the lower portion of the chamber 7i) by engaging a knock-out block 106 formed on the outer plate 66 and extending inwardly therefrom toward the inner plate 86 and riding in an annular groove 108 formed in the inner plate 86, so that the operation of the coin-operated seat 1t) may be only accomplished once for each deposit of a coin.

Upon completion of the event which the patron is witnessing, an attendant may then reset the folding seat 10 by moving the back rest 16 to its inactive position and rewinding the cable 78 upon the drum 72 by rotating the winged cap 84 in a counterclockwise direction until the cut-out or detent 92 moves beyond the free end of the holding means or dog 96, and then move the seat 10 to its stored position underneath the bleacher seat 12, as shown in broken lines in Figure 2.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that there has been provided in a folding seat of the type having a seat portion 14 and a back rest 16 carried by the seat portion for movement from an inactive position in which it lies in overlying covering relation to the seat portion to an active position in which it extends upwardly from the seat portion adjacent one end thereof, a coin operated means 50 carried by the back rest 16, a exible line 78 connected to the seat portion and wound around the winding drum 72 to maintain the folding seat in its inactive position, folding means defined by the dog 96 disposed in a coin-operated means 50 to prevent unwinding of the cable, and release means provided in the coinoperated means and defined by the coin receiving pocket and the cut-out or detent 92, operable upon insertion of a proper coin to cause disengagement of the holding means thus permitting unwinding of the flexible line and subsequent movement of the back rest to its active position.

With regard to the coin receiving pocket 90 and the cut-out or detent adjacent thereto, it will be apparent that the insertion or deposit of a coin in the pocket will have the periphery of the coin substantially match the periphery of the inner plate 86, or at least extend above the top of the stop shoulder 94 of the detent, so that the dog will ride over the stop shoulder to permit rotation of the drum 72 and unwinding of the flexible line or cable 78 therefrom.

Also, it will be seen that there has been provided a pair of spaced angle members 46 and 48 which define guide rails carried by the bleacher seat, and mounting brackets 32 and 34 carried by the seat portion 14 at opposite sides thereof with each of the brackets pivotally connected to respective ones of the pair of guide rails to permit movement of the folding seat from a position resting upon the bleacher seat 12 to a position of storage underneath the bleacher seat.

While there are shown and described the preferred within the practicability of the invention and therefore should be limited only by the scope of the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1 In a folding seat of the type having a seat portion and a back rest carried by the seat portion for move ment from an inactive position in which it lies in overlying covering relation to said seat portion to an active position in which it extends upwardly from the seat portion adjacent one end thereof, coin-operated means including a winding drum carried by said back rest, a eXible line connected to said seat portion and wound around said drum to maintain the folding seat in its inactive position, holding means in said coin-operated means to prevent unwinding of said cable, and release means in said coin-operated means operable upon insertion of a proper coin to cause disengagement of said holding means permitting unwinding of said line and movement of said back rest to its active position.

2. In a folding seat of the type having a seat portion and a back rest carried 4by the seat portion for movement from an inactive position in which it lies in overlying covering relation to said seat portion to an active position in which it extends upwardly from the seat portion adjacent one end thereof, coin-operated means to hold said back rest in its inactive position, said means including a winding drum, an inner plate carried by said drum and having a coin-receiving pocket and a detent adjacent said pocket defining a holding means, a spring urged dog engageable in said detent to prevent rotation of the drum; and a cable connected to said seat and wound on said drum to maintain said back rest in its inactive position, said dog being held out of engagement with said detent by a coin deposited in said pocket to permit rotation of said drum and unwinding of the cable to allow movement of the back rest to its active position.

3. In a coin-operated folding seat of the type adapted to be carried by grandstand seats of the bleacher type, a seat portion, a back rest carried by said seat portion for movement in an arcuate path from an inactive position in which it lies in overlying covering relation to said seat portion to an active position in which it extends upwardly from the seat porton adjacent one end thereof, coin-operated means including a winding drum carried by said back rest, a exible line connected to said seat portion and wound around said drum to maintain the folding seat in its inactive position, holding means in said coin-operated means to prevent unwinding of said cable, and release means in said coin-operated means operable upon insertion of a proper coin to cause disengagement of said holding means permitting unwinding of said line and movement of said back rest to its active position, a pair of spaced guide rails carried by the bleacher seat, and a mounting bracket carried by said seat portion at opposite sides thereof with each bracket pivotally connected to one of said pair of guide rails to permit movement of the folding seat from a position resting upon said bleacher seat to a position of storage beneath the bleacher seat.

References Cited in the ile of this patent UNTTED STATES PATENTS 865,327 Barrett Sept. 3, 1907 912,781 Barrett et a1. Feb. 16, 1909 1,712,388 Lange et al. May 7, 1929 2,466,361 Bjornskaas Apr. 5, 1949 2,577,197 Kinney Dec. 4, 1951 

1. IN A FOLDING SEAT OF THE TYPE HAVING A SEAT PORTION AND A BACK REST CARRIED BY THE SEAT PORTION FOR MOVEMENT FROM AN INACTIVE POSITION IN WHICH IT LIES IN OVERLYING COVERING RELATION TO SAID SEAT PORTION TO AN ACTIVE POSITION IN WHICH IT EXTENDS UPWARDLY FROM THE SEAT PORTION ADJACENT ONE END THEREOF, COIN-OPERATED MEANS INCLUDING A WINDING DRUM CARRIED BY SAID BACK REST, A FLEXIBLE LINE CONNECTED TO SAID SEAT PORTION AND WOUND AROUND SAID DRUM TO MAINTAIN THE FOLDING SEAT IN ITS INACTIVE POSITION, HOLDING MEANS IN SAID COIN-OPERATED MEANS TO PREVENT UNWINDING OF SAID CABLE, AND RELEASE MEANS IN SAID COIN-OPERATED MEANS OPERABLE UPON INSER TION OF A PROPER COIN TO CAUSE DISENGAGEMENT OF SAID HOLDING MEANS PERMITTING UNWINDING OF SAID LINE AND MOVEMENT OF SAID BACK REST TO ITS ACTIVE POSITION. 